In early July 2026, we hosted our annual concrete art project again in collaboration with the Jugendkunstschule Dresden (Youth Art School Dresden). For five days, students aged 8 to 14 turned the workshops into a giant experimental lab. There was sawing, shaping, and combining: concrete met wood, fabrics, ceramics, and natural materials. There were absolutely no limits to their creativity!
Midway through the vacation week, everything revolved around the big "experiment" (we weren't allowed to call it a "test"—nobody wanted to be reminded of school 😆). 💥 After an exciting concrete quiz in the morning, things got serious out in the yard: we loaded two concrete beams to the point of failure. Without reinforcement, the beam didn't last long—how much more can it withstand when reinforced with a single layer of state-of-the-art carbon mesh? The kids got to try it out for themselves and experience firsthand how the building materials of the future work.
We are super proud of this incredible group and their colorful ideas! At the end of the week, the exhibition opened for parents and grandparents. 🎨👑
This project was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation. A huge thank you for the support and the appreciation shown toward our work!
And, of course, a big shoutout to the participating research associates from CRC/TRR 280 😉